CHRW1: Assess and record hedgerow condition

What you must do to get paid for this action and advice on how to do it.

This is an action in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme: expanded offer for 2024. You must read the SFI scheme information to understand the scheme rules and how to apply.

Duration

3 years

How much you바카라 사이트™ll be paid

£5 per 100 metres (m) for one side of an eligible hedgerow per year

Action바카라 사이트™s aim

This action바카라 사이트™s aim is that you:

  • understand the condition of your hedgerows
  • effectively plan how they can be managed to improve their condition

Where you can do this action

An eligible hedgerow for this action must be:

  • a boundary line of shrubs, or both shrubs and trees
  • over 20m long
  • less than 10m wide

The hedgerow can be:

  • newly planted, laid or coppiced
  • woody growth on top of an earth or stone-faced bank, for example, Cornish or Devon hedges

There can be gaps in the hedgerow if they바카라 사이트™re not more than:

  • 20m long
  • 10% of the total length of the relevant hedgerow when you add all the gaps in it together

If the gaps add up to more than 10%, you can only do the action on the total length of the hedgerow if you바카라 사이트™ll plant up the gaps during this action바카라 사이트™s 3-year duration. You can apply for Capital Grants for hedgerow gapping up (BN7) and planting new hedges (BN11) to help you do this.

You can do this action on either one side or both sides of an eligible hedgerow. You must have management control of one or both sides, depending on what you enter into this action.

You can enter both sides of a roadside hedgerow, or a hedgerow that borders a neighbour바카라 사이트™s land, if you meet both of the following:

  • you have a legal right or obligation to maintain the hedgerow
  • you can meet this action바카라 사이트™s requirements

Eligibility of protected land

Protected land Eligibility
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) Eligible 바카라 사이트“ you must get SSSI consent before you do this action (read section 10.3바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트˜SSSI consent바카라 사이트™ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this)
Historic and archaeological features Eligible 바카라 사이트“ you must get a SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.6바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트˜Land with historic or archaeological features바카라 사이트™ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this)

Available area you can enter into this action

Not applicable, as this is a linear action. You can choose what length of eligible hedgerows to enter into this action.

Rotational or static action

This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action바카라 사이트™s duration.

What to do

You must:

  • assess the condition of all the hedgerows entered into this action
  • produce a written hedgerow condition assessment record for these hedgerows

If you바카라 사이트™ve already assessed these hedgerows and produced a written hedgerow condition assessment record in the last 5 years, you can use it to get paid for this action.

When to do it

You must:

  • assess the condition of the hedgerows and complete a written hedgerow condition assessment record within 12 months of this action바카라 사이트™s start date
  • review the condition of the hedgerows and update the hedgerow condition assessment record in each subsequent year of this action바카라 사이트™s duration

How to do it

It바카라 사이트™s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:

  • follow this action바카라 사이트™s requirements 바카라 사이트“ these are identified by a 바카라 사이트˜must바카라 사이트™
  • do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim

You may find it helpful to read the 바카라 사이트˜advice to help you do this action바카라 사이트™, but it바카라 사이트™s not part of this action바카라 사이트™s requirements.

Evidence to keep

You must keep the required written record of your hedgerow condition assessment. It can be recorded on paper or digitally. You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.

Other actions or options you can do with this action

You can do the following actions or options in land parcels with eligible boundaries entered into this action.

Scheme Action or option codes
SFI 2024 actions All SFI 2024 actions, except BND1
SFI 2023 actions All SFI 2023 actions, except HRW1
CS options All CS management options, including BE3 (management of hedgerows)
ES options All ES revenue options
SFI pilot standards All SFI pilot standards, including all levels of the SFI pilot hedgerows standard

Advice to help you do this action

The following advice may help you to do this action, but it바카라 사이트™s not part of this action바카라 사이트™s requirements.

Completing a hedgerow condition assessment

You can choose how to complete this action바카라 사이트™s hedgerow condition assessment. It could be a simple survey.

You can do a hedgerow condition assessment at any time of year because you바카라 사이트™re assessing the hedgerow바카라 사이트™s structure, not species. However, you may find it easier to see your hedgerow바카라 사이트™s structure during the winter months, when there is less foliage.

You may find it helpful to read the People바카라 사이트™s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) .

Producing a written hedgerow condition assessment record

You can choose how to record the written hedgerow condition assessment. There바카라 사이트™s no standard format. It can be on paper or digital.

You may find it helpful to use the tool to help you do this action. It바카라 사이트™s a rapid hedgerow health checking survey which is available as an app for mobile phones, or you can .

If you use this tool, it may generate more hedgerow management options than are available in the SFI actions you can do on hedgerows. If this is the case, make sure you do what바카라 사이트™s required in the relevant SFI action.

Updates to this page

Published 21 May 2024
Last updated 5 August 2024 show all updates
  1. Eligibility of protected land - updated link to section 10.3 바카라 사이트˜SSSI consent바카라 사이트™ in the SFI scheme information. Published voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action바카라 사이트™s requirements.

  2. First published.